Birthday Grants: Caleigh Madison Loafers

I turned 22 just recently. As I write this, I’m in Mov&May Perivolos, Santorini probing Galliano Versace and Tony Cohen muftis. To which, everything is happening in my dreams. Teehee!

Okay well, all these fashionable designer outfits and nomadic affairs have been serving my bucket list for years; all waiting to materialize. I find myself having what I call, “head trips” as I begin to envision my personal hankerings.

Especially now that I turned 22, I’m starting to reconsider the choices I have been making in the past. And eventually move to a healthier and more positive lifestyle. Where everything has to happen with my pilates and bikram yoga exercises, healthy options diet, daily scripture readings, and constant physical primps and pampering.

Saying all these things doesn’t exactly mean fighting the guilt of extravagance. At the end of the day, women reap desirable results to looking and feeling better when they start to take care of themselves in and out.

Having said enough, I feel extremely happy to get to win a Snake Skin Studded Loafers from Caleigh Madison’s giveaway. 

The loafers come in khaki with a snake skin texture and black edgy sequins. Inside is carefully tailored and comfortable to wear. 

Holy kamote I could never be so excited to give this pair of loafers a most-deserved wear!

Thank you Caleigh Madison! It’s a birthday wish granted!

A Gift from a Stranger

Strange things happen for some unexpected reasons. 

An old man in his 50's went towards me at the National Bookstore two days ago. He smiled coyly and asked me if I have ever read this book before [True Life in God]. 

He was unassuming. He looked professional in striped beige polo shirt tucked under a prim dungarees that most senior men wear. His ashen hair was far from empty though wrinkles turn up as he tried to open his mouth and explained to me how the book had amazingly "converted" his faith. That was the exact word he used. 

Those folds in his face however hinted me a contented man whose wisdom matured in the last 10 years. He gives me a quick look through the pages, which had me reassured is an action of a man who really knows what he is talking about. 

"To which Church do you belong sir, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I am a Roman Catholic" he said.

"I first came across this book in 1997 from a friend. It only stockpiled in my desk until six months later when I read it for the first time. Lord, why have I not read this book before? I muttered. This is a very good book. It is the type that will get you teary eyed-- perhaps out of guilt, or joy, or thankfulness. It feels like Jesus speaking straight to you. A real account".

"I can give this to you as a gift" he continues.

"No it's okay sir, thank you. I'll have it myself".

"No don't worry, I'll pay for it".

I took a sly smile. He went to the counter and paid for the book. The next thing I know was that I felt surprised. I was not sure if I made a seemly response. Tears (honestly) almost gathered in my bottom lids. It felt unusual but I did not think it was ever doubtful. 

"Why do you have to do this sir?" I asked.

"I just feel happy" he only puts it. 

His assuring smile greeted me for the last time. "Well thank you sir. God bless you" I replied and then he left.

Photo Credits:
google (dot) com (slash) images

Today I Turn 22 (And I Ain’t Getting Married)

Time flies. Today I celebrate my twenty-second year of life-- almost perturb but completely wonderful. I already have plans set on how I’d like things to go about this day. It's turning out however that throwing up a get-together is a bit impossible.

So I decide to be my laid-back self and make merry of this day with few of the most important persons in my life. Homemade brownies here, diavolos pizza and coffee smoothies there will all serve our craving tummies. Everybody knows birthday calories don't count. Snorts! I’d also like to put up some jazz music in the background. So it’s a little café sort of feel.

Mommy-ing and wifey-ing reads stockpiled in my desk in the past few weeks. It’s somehow funny when the mom gets to ask me perhaps for curiosity’s sake about why I have been reading those things in a while.

From kindles

To printed parenting finds

I don’t want to freak her out but there are times when I’d like to tell her I want to get married already with puns intended. Haha!

To online references

Well I’m 22, and of course I’m still far from marrying. I just realize how I could start gearing myself to live a more productive life in the future and make career decisions without interrupting the joy of being youth in the process.

Balancing my work as a nurse and a part-time blogger/writer is somehow difficult. However, I’m thinking of ways to keep the homeostasis.

Here are 3 “life at 20’s” realizations I’d like to share in my life blog catalog:

• 20’s are the best years for travel

Experts would even say traveling should take precedence over other things young adults spend their money for. Imagine how much there is to learn about the world when you begin this early.

• 20’s is never too late for a healthier lifestyle

Choosing the right food at equally right amount and toning up your body as early as possible will do you a big favor in the future. Wear and tear issues are inevitable but you can help prevent speeding them up.

• 20’s is the stage you have to learn that life is different outside school

Maximize everything you can learn from studying. Life will offer you way more serious challenges once you get out of the school premises. But keep your faith and understand your brain works. It will help you more than a dictionary would.

I’d like to thank God, my significant others, and all the people who’ve been part and will be part of another wonderful year in my life.

I’m thinking what’s blowing a candle next year when I’m 23 feels like? Teehee! Much love to you all J

A Mother’s Day Blog: If I Should Have a Daughter

Last year I blogged about the value of having fathers in our lives. And today I am posting a recognition to the people who play equal significance to us all-- mothers.

I find it hard to write anything really heartfelt about my mother. Before any cuss words be thrown up on me, I have a good relationship with her and I love her beyond faking.

One reason is, I have way too many laughing moments with her more than I thought. Good memories outweighs the bad.

I spent senseless years thinking that I don’t have a mother who cares about me. It sounds very trivial but that existed in my mind until I was sixteen.  But as tough luck and misfortunes came, I have seen my mother coming to the rescue without solicitations needed. She knew when to speak and when not to.

As I step a little forward towards maturity, I can see how she maintains her strength all through the years. She is able to carry on her youth despite being a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a daughter all at the same time. And if I’m being overemotional, I’d like to think that every daughter is entitled to feeling that way when talking about her mother.

Few things I like or dislike about her though is that first she isn’t a good laundry-maker. Let her do the washing and you’ll get your white trousers back in red and your black t-shirt in pink. I don’t know exactly how she does that.

Next, you’ll never work with her in the kitchen without leaving it messy afterwards. And by messy I mean total chaos. It’s either you get mad at her for it or you get used to it because there’s no way for her to change that attitude. She believes in speed more than cleanliness.

Third is that you can never take her to a concert because there’s also no way for her to care for music or yet you have to blush your butt from watching drama series on TV every night for 5 hours.

And fourth, God so help me she won’t hate me for writing this. (Love you Ma! :D) These are very minute details about my mother and I just love her for the way she is. Sometimes she just really makes me laugh.

Side note: Here's my mother reading a travel magazine in one of our recent trips to a local resort

But seriously, believe me when I say there’s no measure to a mother’s love; the same love that Mary has shown for her son Jesus. No matter how terrible or unreasonable a mother can be, she’ll still always be the last person standing for you after everyone has left. For sure you know that too. There is no break, time-out, or leave in being a mother. Until her last breath, you will always remain a son or a daughter to her.

As I write this post I have here beside me a book by a spoken word poet Sarah Kay. I could not help myself but cry at how she expressed the great importance of a mother in our lives. Here are the lines:

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Today I turned 21. One thing that gets me high on my birthday is when I start to hang in to whoever among my family, friends, special people, and acquaintances remembers to post a birthday greeting on my facebook wall,tsk! A preoccupation this is.

Suffice it to say, that is all I could ever be thankful of; letting in God’s best in love and mercy through other people. 

The more I get to receive their greetings, the more I get reminded of how my life has been glutted with inspiration by other people and how I ripened each time because of them.

Let alone myself understand that maturity (in mind) and wisdom (in heart) doesn’t necessarily come as we age, it comes as to how we have endured and bandy with the daily challenges of life. That’s why I’m determined to learn as my age upturns.

Really, my birthday is all about being grateful for everything that came about in the past 21 years. And I also hope to not just receive more blessings but be more of a blessing to others.

It's what my birthday has to mean to me l Image taken from quot.esarcade.com

These are all the many blessings I got from today,

Screen shots of the greetings of love and happiness from:

Wanted Perfect Father

First of all, I would like to greet all the long time dads, new dads, and soon-to-be dads in the world a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Few days ago when NBA and the Lunar Eclipse were the trending topics on the twitter timeline, I caught site of a twitter hashtag hanging at the bottom of the top 10 trending topics that goes, #thatsmydad. I could only remember one thing about my dad that would suit the hashtag pretty well and I tweeted, “someone who plays guitar and sings me ballad #thatsmydad”. 

I don’t exactly know how other families would usually have a good time on father’s day. I for real grew up in a family where celebrating such occasions is so unlikely, at odds to what I typically hear from others where preparations are really done for their father say, a special dinner. 

“I love you”  is a not so familiar line inside the home. After my mother remained a plain housewife for few years, suddenly had to start a job in the city government. And my father, focused most of his time and attention on politics when he started serving as a Barangay Chairman in 1995. My brother was 9 years old then while I was 5. 

Apparently, politics became part of our daily life since then. It wasn’t until I also turned 9 that I mustered the courage to write him a letter for the father’s day (thanks to the 90’s educational TV series for reminding me of such a good conduct) because I thought it’s only on those kinds of occasion that I get the chance to thank him for all he’s done and to let him know that I love him. 

There were times when I would only see my letters for him run into the trash bin few days after. Though I’ve realized my father surely didn’t intend to throw my billet-doux. I remember my aunt even said, “Don’t be discouraged, you know your parents aren’t really fond of emotions popping off letters”. 

We all in the family hardly recognize feelings and thank each other. Endearments are taboo in that trying to open up something like it makes for a very awkward conversation. Though I know the Filipino culture where families are really valued (well I still hope despite of all the issues the country is facing now), father’s day is supposed to be a day when everybody, most importantly children have to give honor to their father and make him feel like he’s the greatest, the best and the most special dad there is. 

As children grow up, perspectives change and greeting dads on father’s day grow to be less and less of a priority. All the greetings if not forgotten just become perfunctory. Some start to move and have families of their own while others get too busy with their individual jobs. I don’t know how fathers really react to this. It is probably one of the hardest things a father or a parent for that matter could ever learn to do and accept as being parents, the stage of emancipation where one has to understand that his children are never his own . 

Waking Up to a Fluffy Eyes

Image taken from ps-iheartyou.tumblr.com

For once, I felt the need to clear everything that happened. I tossed and hang a left as I moved past the late night conversation. I sat down the stairs trying to sort it out. I suppose I made the right decision in laying the real score out in the open.

As I ponder every decision we make in life, especially when it’s a decision that has something to do with persons coming in and out our lives, demands a spit and image of attention we give to some of the other significant things in our life. When emotions are involved, things wouldn’t be way easier. There always has to be a consideration for all the consequences of our actions. We have to weigh them up and see what will serve better.

Decisions shouldn’t also depend solely on emotions because the latter do last and when it does, we eventually realize that we could’ve made a better judgement and decision. Let our emotions be part of our making for our decisions but the basis.

Things should be pondered upon fairly well before it’s laid out. It would be difficult though sometimes we have to take full maturity and responsibility in letting go of things that would only give a more negative effect to many or hold on to things that really matter to us. Now it takes much realization to do.

So today, 1:37 pm as I wake up, I find my eyes flocculent as I look in the mirror and am still contemplating. I only pray for God’s guidance that I could make the most-fitting judgment to all these things that are moving stealthily in my present life.








Image Credits:
ps-iheartyou.tumblr.com

Forever Young

There's nothing more good than being young in mind and heart l 
Image taken from daytobeyou.com

I wanna be forever young! — If only life put up with this.

First, I’m turning 21 this year and am not getting any younger.

Physically, I may still be able to get along with activities that require so much strength but I pretty  sure that my endurance wouldn’t be as sound as a 4th grader could get. 

Emotionally, I cannot just let my tantrums and emotional constipation fly in the air because I’m no more 3 years old and the society expects me to act and deal with things the more mature way; which also means to say that I could no longer just decide on things impulsively and do whatever I want without keeping other people in mind. 

Mentally, I know I have to stretch my brain and understand things the higher level. That 10,000 minus 8,985 is not equals 1015 but finding a job (with pay) and searching for a sideline to get the money coming in for the family’s daily consumption and for a post-graduate study’s tuition. 

And spiritually, I need to realize that going to church every Sunday and memorizing some bible passages cannot help grow my sacred side but act on them.

Second, being young holds for so many opportunities to explore without hesitations of what the people around can say. A young mind and heart is yet spared of the world’s too much vanity. Innocence is professed. 

Lastly, I just miss the times when all I think about is what movie to watch the next day and get mad at the mom for not buying me the pink-dressed doll she promised since two weeks ago.

Photo Credits:

daytobeyou.com

TWO more Important Wishes

Photo Added by Bubble Guumm on weheartit.com

The calendar says it’s barely 65 days before the Nursing Board Exam. It’s only just 3 days before yet another Barangay election. And the clock says it’s hardly 8 hours before my next review class.

I haven’t done things a scads in days. I've been practically away from all my social networking sites. But just when I have gotten too busy and weary with all the errands I need to run and with the fast approaching board examination that’s taking me a toll, I’ve been thinking of ways to keep my balance. 

I am good at coming up with stress-relieving activities, I could say. Though these days when everything and everyone is dealing with the daily fracas of life, there are just TWO more important wishes that I’d like to ask:

1. I wish that there could be TWO more years for me to stay at the teen-age when what’s top-of-the-line is just to live care-free and own much of my time without hesitations and substantial apprehensions of the future; spending the money I don’t even own, tsk!

2. I wish that there could be TWO more months for me to prepare for the nerve-racking NLE; pretty sure it’s a saving grace for an “immaculate-procrastinator” like me, hehe.

3. I wish that there could be TWO more weeks for me to spend making a very sensible write-up about the nearing elections (I might just be able to help people make at least a rational choice of candidate) and do the rest of the activities for my dear SK just so before I finish my term of service before the year ends.

4. I wish there could be TWO more days for me to hang around with my cousin Ate Eds (who seldom comes home owing to her work in Manila) and my friends Stephanie, Neville, Jayvee, Kevin, Anton, Flor, Lor and Yoram without having have to think about the pile of books left for us to read, again for the Board Exam, whew!

5. I wish that there could be TWO more hours for me to spend for a quality conversation with my parents (despite their busy schedule), I just miss talking to them the way I do now that I’ve grown up already…I suppose, hehe.

6. I wish that there could be TWO more minutes for me to relive the littlest things that are so simple but makes me hugely happy..^^

7. I wish that there could be TWO more seconds for me to say the words “Thank You” to God for giving me all the blessings I have…

…and I wish there could be TWO more lifetimes for me to prove the beauty of life’s existence.

Sadly the notepad says I only have TWO a couple of characters left to get this blog entry done.

I’ll just park the period for now, but there’re surely more to come!

Image Credits:
Bubble Guumm, weheartit.com

"I want to write things that people want to feel."

 Photo by Mariana Riccio

No one yet has ever thought the power and influence writing can make; from mere textbooks, to newspapers, magazines, novels, and even the varied types of blogs written in the world wide web.

Some people write for personal purposes like keeping a journal (for daily updates) while others write for business purposes or like maintaining a job whatever that is.

It goes without saying that some people react even to the most ordinary caption we make on photos or whenever we send them a simple hello. Whether they feel enamored, entertained, flattered, or saddened, it still gives a clear proof that they get affected by what we write. Perhaps it's not the printed letters that essentially affect them but the message conveyed behind every words that ignites and captures their human minds and hearts.

Just like when I got myself bored and idle at home one Wednesday afternoon. The temperature felt like it reached 40 degrees Celsius and I couldn’t manage another hour of sitting on the couch. It seemed like being cooked inside a big oven. I stood up and helped myself with a glass full of iced coffee and remained standing before the fridge that was widely open, hoping for an instant relief^^.

As I finished the glass of iced coffee and two other glasses of water I still couldn’t help the high temperature so I took a bath, changed my clothes, and walked a few distance to the high way and waited for a ride to a 15-minute drive mall.

The book encounter

I went window shopping and looked through some place to stay until the heat’s not too scorching outside. Not to mention how I was hugely relieved from the hot weather by the air-conditioned mall. I  had a delectable affair with a regular size of Zagu, a pearl drink that comes in three sizes with prices that fits accordingly, imbued with different flavors such as crème brulee, hazelnut cappuccino, choco caramel (that sound and taste really good and are by far my most favorite flavors of Zagu) and different others exquisitely blended with tapiocas. 

I had the chance to drop by the National Bookstore. I accommodated myself in the novels section, then to the featured books section, to the recipe books section and to the self-help books section, phew! And, okay, here was the real story: as I looked over the shelves I came across a book that said, “Men are good speakers, Women are bad listeners”. I didn’t know if I would laugh at the line or get mad with it, all I know was that it really sucked having have to stereotype one gender as being good and the other as being bad. Or do I have to mention that I perfectly belong to the gender that the line utterly quoted in the negative context?

My big disappointments heightened. I kept throwing in words of disgust leaving a bad impression on the author of the book (but peace to him whoever he is^^). Doesn't the line appear too discriminating on my part as a woman to be able to read something that coins the entire feminine gender as the complete malfunction of the masculine species?

Surely, other women especially the feminists would somehow react in the same way I did, wouldn’t they? The line was like a total crap. I felt there has to be a space for gender equality somewhere in that moment. So junk was that line, ditch was that author. I was pissed off and I was in total mess.

But that was long before I realized on my way home, how that very simple line influenced my emotions and made my day so bad. I was affected by the writing. The author made an impact on me. I thought to myself, writing really makes wonders. How it can turn a perfectly happy mood into an entirely opposite one; and how it can possibly touch other people’s lives.

Unexpected inspirations
    

I became more motivated for that reason, to be able to write things that would surely inspire others. I longed to make feelings work for them through the power of words.

It’s not as though I’ve been eager to do it for monetary intentions but rather the pure thought of influencing and making an impact on others through my write-ups.

On another note, I remember one classmate back in college who used to tell my other classmates how I am able to subtly touch other people’s lives and amazingly inspire them whenever I do speaking in school or whenever I do counseling on them. I wouldn't have known until a someone else told me. I was completely inspired to do more speaking and counseling to others, and who wouldn’t be? 

Humans as we are, it is a natural reaction for us to go far from what we used to do when somebody else we personally know or not appreciates our being able to help and move them in ways that we do. It’s our human behavior to do it in order to appeal to the impressions of others and prove it in our system. Consciously or not, it charges up our batteries when somebody caters to our ego. But right through my heart, to be honest, it just made me realize the sense and worth of the things I have been doing.

To speak and to counsel are the things I always love to do. But to have inspired others by doing these things is something I don’t quite expect. Hence, I thought exploring other ways to inspire people--- this time, through writing. To put into words the stories that represent and encourage them, and to hopefully be able to reach out to others who, if God so will, would be able to read my writings and become my regular readers and if it isn’t much, my blaudience. 

There’s nothing more fulfilling than to be able to succeed in things we love to do. 

No one yet has really ever thought the power and influence writing can make. Whether you agree, partially agree or totally disagree with the former statement, it’s still sure fire that you had something to say in mind; you had your own back talk or opinion perhaps. Thus, you were affected by the writings.

After all, writing is another thing that I’ve been dreaming of achieving. I want to write things that people want to feel!

Image Credit:

Mariana Riccio, maririccio.blogspot.com